11.10.15

Two weeks in Jack! Your fight is astounding and fills us with the hope and drive we need daily.  This is turning into one tough family!

2 Weeks (26 week gestational) Update:

weight: 834 grams | height: 13 inches

–Brain Scan #2- Grade IV bleed on the left side.  They’re seeing the Grade IV bleed starting to recede as expected and fluid is starting to build up where the blood left.  A little more fluid on both sides of the brain than the doctors would like to have seen but still just going to closely monitor with biweekly brain scans as well as head circumference measurements.  There will be no intervention at this time, but down the road if they see too much fluid and pressure they’ll insert a reservoir to drain the fluid weekly.  The next step after a reservoir would be a VP shunt insertion.  We’re praying that we won’t need any intervention.  We met with Dr. Grant, the Neurosurgeon that will work with Jack and his team – they are wonderful and gave us the pep talk we needed.  Dr. Grant assured us that Jack will have a quality of life but only time will tell what the developmental challenges he might endure will be.  He’s still so little and under developed and the brain has a lot of growing to do.  Still plenty of time for an against all odds story.

–Ventilator- Still intubated to help regulate his breathing.  They will be attempting to wean him off in the upcoming weeks to a CPAP to give him a chance to start taking breaths on his own.  The sooner they can extubate, the better.  Need to get this little peanut some breaths on his own but he will let us all know when he’s ready.

–Feeds– He is up on feeds everyday(15cc of breast milk) and tolerating it well! They removed the PICC line and IV line for nutrition and fluids so now he is solely on breast milk and his arms are free of needles for now.  Pump it up Mommy!

–Skin to Skin- Kangarooing has easily been the joy of each day for Mommy & Daddy.  To be able to spend time with Jack outside his isolette is pure magic.  Mommy has been able to kangaroo with Jack now four times and as Jack gets stronger and more stable we will both have this opportunity.

–NICU Life- Two weeks in and we have made friends with other parents and nurses we’ll cherish for a lifetime.  We each have our own story and journey to take but we are united inside these walls and there is no other option but to be strong for our babies and each other.  To see couples that have three other children back home, or the father that travels in from Connecticut because that’s where they bought their new home and weren’t expecting the baby this early, mothers in grad school taking tests in between kangarooing and pumping.  It’s a world unknown to most but it’s now our home and the walls are strong, real strong. Preemie strong.

-‘Real world’ life- The outpouring of support by our family and friends has been what keeps us going.  Our refrigerator is stocked by loved ones nightly so we don’t have to think about cooking after a full day and night in the NICU.  The texts, calls, emails we get just to say “we’re thinking about you guys” are all seen and felt but Mommy, Daddy and Jack.  The flowers, the note cards, the NICU survival kits, the gift cards — it’s all too much and too generous but it’s so appreciated.  Our work families that have allowed us this time off to be with Jack and each other without a question asked further proves we both found places that truly value and allow for a balanced life and found people that go beyond coworkers and are family. We love you.

Two weeks ago we lived an entirely different life.  It’s been really hard, emotional, shocking and exhausting but it’s been coupled with love, support, gratitude and the realization that this family of three (sorry Frank, I meant four) has started earlier than expected but is gearing up to take life by storm.  Watch out guys, when The Moreaus get released from the NICU in however hundreds of days from now, you better believe we’ll be the strongest crew on the block.